40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

42 (A)So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown [a](B)a perishable body, it is raised [b](C)an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in (D)glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a (E)natural body, it is raised a (F)spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written: “The first (G)man, Adam, became a living [c]person.” The (H)last Adam was a (I)life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is (J)from the earth, [d](K)earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy one, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly one, (L)so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have (M)borne the image of the earthy, [e]we (N)will also bear the image of the heavenly.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 15:42 Lit in corruption
  2. 1 Corinthians 15:42 Lit in incorruption
  3. 1 Corinthians 15:45 Or soul
  4. 1 Corinthians 15:47 Or made of dust, and so throughout the ch
  5. 1 Corinthians 15:49 Two early mss let’s also

40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor,(A) the moon another and the stars another;(B) and star differs from star in splendor.

42 So will it be(C) with the resurrection of the dead.(D) The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;(E) 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;(F) it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.(G)

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”[a];(H) the last Adam,(I) a life-giving spirit.(J) 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.(K) 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth;(L) the second man is of heaven.(M) 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.(N) 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man,(O) so shall we[b] bear the image of the heavenly man.(P)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 15:45 Gen. 2:7
  2. 1 Corinthians 15:49 Some early manuscripts so let us

40 Everything in the heavens has a body, and so does everything on earth. But each one is very different from all the others. 41 The sun isn't like the moon, the moon isn't like the stars, and each star is different.

42 That's how it will be when our bodies are raised to life. These bodies will die, but the bodies that are raised will live forever. 43 These ugly and weak bodies will become beautiful and strong. 44 As surely as there are physical bodies, there are spiritual bodies. And our physical bodies will be changed into spiritual bodies.

45 (A) The first man was named Adam, and the Scriptures tell us that he was a living person. But Jesus, who may be called the last Adam, is a life-giving spirit. 46 We see that the one with a spiritual body did not come first. He came after the one who had a physical body. 47 The first man was made from the dust of the earth, but the second man came from heaven. 48 Everyone on earth has a body like the body of the one who was made from the dust of the earth. And everyone in heaven has a body like the body of the one who came from heaven. 49 Just as we are like the one who was made out of earth, we will be like the one who came from heaven.

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39-41 You will notice that the variety of bodies is stunning. Just as there are different kinds of seeds, there are different kinds of bodies—humans, animals, birds, fish—each unprecedented in its form. You get a hint at the diversity of resurrection glory by looking at the diversity of bodies not only on earth but in the skies—sun, moon, stars—all these varieties of beauty and brightness. And we’re only looking at pre-resurrection “seeds”—who can imagine what the resurrection “plants” will be like!

42-44 This image of planting a dead seed and raising a live plant is a mere sketch at best, but perhaps it will help in approaching the mystery of the resurrection body—but only if you keep in mind that when we’re raised, we’re raised for good, alive forever! The corpse that’s planted is no beauty, but when it’s raised, it’s glorious. Put in the ground weak, it comes up powerful. The seed sown is natural; the seed grown is supernatural—same seed, same body, but what a difference from when it goes down in physical mortality to when it is raised up in spiritual immortality!

45-49 We follow this sequence in Scripture: The First Adam received life, the Last Adam is a life-giving Spirit. Physical life comes first, then spiritual—a firm base shaped from the earth, a final completion coming out of heaven. The First Man was made out of earth, and people since then are earthy; the Second Man was made out of heaven, and people now can be heavenly. In the same way that we’ve worked from our earthy origins, let’s embrace our heavenly ends.

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